BIOMASS

TURBODEN. ORC technology for distributed energy generation

SOLAR ENERGY ELECTRIC ENERGY

HEAT
for thermal use or dissipated

WASTE HEAT

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

WOOD BIOMASS

To date most of Turboden’s projects are in the Fields of application

field of cogeneration from wood biomass.
Turboden turbogenerators electric power output • Utilities that supply heat to district housing, public users or industrial users
generally ranges between 500 kW and 2 MW. • Mid-large sawmills that utilize the heat for wood drying
Currently Turboden is specialized in this kind of • Pellet producers that utilize the heat for sawdust drying
applications with more than 90 plants in • MDF panel producers (Medium Density Fiber panel)
operation.
The present production capacity of Turboden
is about 35 modules/year.

Copyright © 2009 TURBODEN SRL · www.turboden.it · info@turboden.it

ORC plant in biomass based cogeneration system

ELECTRIC POWER OUTPUT AIR COOLER

TURBODEN ORC

WOOD DRIER

LOW TEMPERATURE THERMAL OIL LOOP

HIGH TEMPERATURE THERMAL OIL LOOP

SPACE HEATING
THERMAL OIL BOILER
(WOOD CHIPS, SAWDUST, BARK,..)
HOT WATER

Thanks to the Turboden ORC it is possible to cover the own consumption required by
the process and to access incentives schemes for Renewable Energy.

Combined Heat & Power (CHP) with split - Standard Sizes and typical performances*
TURBODEN 4 TURBODEN 6 TURBODEN 7 TURBODEN 10 TURBODEN 14 TURBODEN 18 TURBODEN 22
CHP - split CHP - split CHP - split CHP - split CHP - split CHP - split CHP - split
INPUT - thermal oil
nominal temperature "HT" °C 310/250 310/250 310/250 310/250 310/250 312/252 312/252
loop (in/out)
thermal power input "HT" kW 2100 2965 3485 4690 6130 8935 10975
loop
nominal temperature "LT" °C 250/130 250/130 250/130 252/132
loop (in/out) 250/130 250/130 252/132
thermal power input "LT" 450 585
loop kW 200 275 330 855 1045

overall thermal input kW 2300 3240 3815 5140 6715 9790 12020

OUTPUT - hot water

hot water temperature (in/out) °C 60/80 60/80 60/80 60/80 60/80 60/90 60/90
thermal power to the cooling
water circuit kW 1844 2600 3060 4100 5350 7850 9630
PERFORMANCES
gross active electric power kW 424 617 727 1001 1317 1862 2282

gross electric efficiency 0.184 0.19 0.191 0.194 0.196 0.19 0.189
captive power consumption kW 24 30 38 51 62 87 107
net active electric power kW 400 587 689 950 1255 1775 2175
net electric efficiency 0.174 0.181 0.181 0.184 0.186 0.181 0.181
asynchronous asynchronous asynchronous asynchronous asynchronous asynchronous asynchronous
electrical generator triphase L.V. 400V triphase L.V. 400V triphase L.V. 400V triphase L.V. 400V triphase L.V. 400V triphase L.V. 660V triphase L.V. 660
plant size single skid single skid single skid single skid multiple skid multiple skid multiple skid
biomass consumption** kg/h 1005 1416 1667 2247 2935 4279 5254

* The Turboden split system allows maximising electric power production for a given biomass consumption.
** Assuming a low heat value of biomass = 2,6 kWh/kg and boiler efficiency = 0,88 . The thermal oil boiler is not included in the Turboden scope of supply.

Turboden is an Italian company, with nearly 30 years experience in designing, manufacturing,

installing and maintaining turbogenerators based on the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), a
technology for the combined generation of heat and electric power from various renewable sources,
particularly suitable for distributed generation.
ORC Technology
The principle of Turboden ORC technology is similar to that of traditional plants with a steam
turbine with a major difference: instead of water, the ORC system vaporizes an organic fluid
with high molecular mass. Such a fluid allows to obtain optimal performance even
from low temperature sources to produce electricity up to approximately 10 MW.

Thermodynamic principle: the ORC Cycle

L
L OI EVAPORATOR TURBINE
R MA
T HE GENERATOR CONDENSER
thermal
TEMPERATURE

REGENERATOR
oil
electric
power

water

ER
WAT
PUMP
ENTROPY

The turbogenerator uses the thermal oil to pre-heat and vaporize a suitable organic working fluid in the evaporator (7
3 4). The organic fluid vapour powers the turbine (4 5), which is directly coupled to the electric generator through an
elastic coupling. The exhaust vapour flows through the regenerator (5 8) where it heats the organic liquid (2 8). The
vapour is then condensed in the condenser (cooled by the water flow) (8 6 1). The organic fluid liquid is finally pumped
(1 2) to the regenerator and then to the evaporator, thus completing the sequence of operations in the closed-loop
circuit.

Turboden ORC technical advantages

78%
THERMAL POWER
100% • High cycle efficiency
THERMAL POWER FROM ORC UNIT 20%
THERMAL OIL ELECTRIC POWER
• Very high turbine efficiency (up to 90%)
2%
THERMAL LOSSES • Low mechanical stress of the turbine, due
(insulation and generator losses)
to low peripheral speed

• High availability/reliability

• Simple start-stop procedures

• Automatic continuous operation and low noise

Turboden ORC units have high overall energy efficiency in cogenera-
• Low operation and maintenance requirements
tive applications: 20% of the thermal power coming from the thermal oil
is transformed into electric power, while 78% remains available at a • Low specific technical skill requirements

temperature high enough for thermal use. • Long life

The given information is indicative and non-binding for the company.

Map of Turboden ORC units

GERMANY ORC units 62 AUSTRIA ORC units 32 ITALY ORC units 23

application in operation ordered application in operation ordered application in operation ordered
biomass 49 13 biomass 28 2 biomass 11 7
HR 1 1 HR 2 3
geothermal 1

POLAND ORC units 3 SWITZERLAND ORC units 2 FRANCE ORC units 2

application in operation ordered application in operation ordered application in operation ordered
biomass 2 1 biomass 2 biomass 1
geothermal 1

BELGIUM ORC presenti

ORC units 31 THE NETHERLANDS ORCORC units 1
presenti UNITED KINGDOM ORC units 1
application in operation ordered application in operation ordered application in operation ordered
biomass 2 biomass 1 biomass 1
HR 1

SPAIN ORC units 1 CZECH REP. ORC units 2

application in operation ordered application in operation ordered
biomass 1 1 biomass 1 1

MOROCCO ORC units 1

application in operation ordered
HR 1

Total ORC units

in operation ordered total
100 33
133

TURBODEN ORC UNITS

in operation ordered total

T200 0 4 4
STANDARD

TURBODEN 4 0 0 0
TURBODEN 6 (T500) 16 2 18
TURBODEN 7 (T600) 15 4 19
TURBODEN 10 (T800) 20 3 23
TURBODEN 14 (T1100) 17 6 23
TURBODEN 18 (T1500) 26 7 33
TURBODEN 22 (T2000) 3 6 9
TURBODEN 12 HRS 0 1 1
Geothermal or
SPECIAL

2 0 2
similar source
Prototype 1 0 1
100 33 133
Last updated May 2009

TURBODEN: www.turboden.it